hello, world
by chandelure
Summary: Because for most of us; it's flight or fight. — character anthology. / hiatus.
1. chapter i — zuko

hello, world

— _I have something to say_.

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**chapter i — the glory days of the fire nation**

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He remembers his childhood dipped in black and white — in a piercing quality that kills him. He remembers his childhood as frozen memories; not something he'd really want to reminisce on, but does anyway.

He remembers days spent by the turtleduck pond where Azula would laugh at the babies and their mother would gently scold her. He remembers always feeling second best when he would meet his father's eyes — the elder son, shamed by the younger daughter. But he remembers always being loved by his mother; he would always run to her crying — he was always her favorite.

(_my own mother thought I was a monster._)

He remembers the autumns being spectacular; red and gold and orange leaves covering the ground they walked on. He remembers tugging on his father's robes, begging him to come out and _"enjoy the fall, Father!" _He never did come, despite his pleads.

He remembers always, always trying to spend time with his father — bonding time, just like the children in the village had with their fathers. He'd always try and get his Father to come and fish or fight or _something_.

(_I'm busy, Zuko._)

He remembers the springs, with festivals and flowers left and right. He remembers, one time, they went to a festival; as the royal family, dressed in silk robes. He was jealous — he wanted to be down on the streets for _once_, not as Fire Prince Zuko. He wanted to be _normal_.

He remembers voicing these thoughts, which were always dismissed with an, "Of _course _you don't want to be normal! Isn't being Fire Prince enough?"

He remembers ripping off his crown once, in an angry rage, and trying to burn it.

(_Zuko! Zuko, what are you doing!_)

He remembers the summer, stifling hot, when he would be gathered up with Mai and Ty Lee and Azula and would have to put up with their endless (useless) chatter. He remembers his Mother smiling kindly at him by the pond as they threw bread. He remembers feeling _oh-so-insignificant _as Azula showed off her firebending moves, and he just failed.

He remembers always hearing whispers of how amazing Azula was, and wondering why they never talked about him.

(_Such a prodigy — incredible raw talent!_)

He remembers the winters, locked inside and staring out the windows. He remembers asking what snow was — answered with a soft laugh from his mother, and a snort from Azula.

"Darling, there's no need to worry about that. You'll learn — and besides, we don't have snow here."

He was unsatisfied, just as always.

(_Wow, Zuzu. I knew you weren't exactly smart, but not knowing what snow is..._)

He remembers hating with unadulterated loathing — Azula, the court that kept his Father away —

And so much more.

* * *

**a/n; **So, I'm trying to do this idea with Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's going to be a chapter per major(ish) character — so, Zuko, Aang, Toph, Sokka, Katara, Suki, Azula, Mai, Ozai, Iroh, Ty Lee, Hakoda, Yue, Haru, Teo, blah, blah, blah. If I remember more, I will add them. And, if you want a chapter done on a minor-er character, you can drop a line, and I'll be glad to write it.

I'll either do the Freedom Fighters, as a group, or, like, Smellerbee, Jet and Longshot. Because Longshot pwns.

And this'll be my main project for a while, since it's going to be tedious, but I'll keep writing around that, I suppose.


	2. chapter ii — katara

hello, world

—_ so are your ears open?_

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**chapter ii **— **&** **we bathe in blue blood**

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_uno._

She's always been proud of being the last southern waterbender — it's an honor. But, as the moon comes and goes, so does that pride. And it's sneaking around at night, listening through animal skins, that brings the weight of her honor flying down onto her shoulders.

_"Poor child; such a burden."_

It's only after those stolen words — never meant to be heard by the person involved — that she trudges _that much slower_, and runs just _that much less_. And even Sokka and Hakoda don't notice; they're too caught up in face paint and wooden boats and it just makes everything _so much worse_. Because she's breaking from the weight on her back and she crying the _cursed_ water that killed her mother and is killing her.

So she tiptoes out, just a young silhouette painted against the almost-black sky at night, and runs in her parka and fur boots and cra cks by her element.

_dos_.

The ship crashes through the ice wall looking for blue arrows, and she feels helpless (a g a i n) in front of the dishonored-not-_really_-a-prince-anymore Fire Prince — someone who eventually becomes an ally; but it takes some time, and 'eventually' sure is overused.

So she steals a second for a tear, and then runs to the Sky Bison with Sokka and pretends to be a hero.

_tres._

The Northern Water Tribe is a turning point — she's finally _someone_, with amazing waterbending talent and she laughs in the face of her enemy, instead of calling for Aang. She likes the sight of fear in the eyes of the armored firebenders; the feel of the full moon on her skin, and it's such a new feeling, but such a _good_ one; and she worries she'll become drunk on the power, because — she needs it too much.

She needs to be dreaded; is that such a bad thing?

_Yes, _her conscience answers. _Yes._

_cuatro._

She hates the feel of the swamp; suffocating and awful — someplace she doesn't have control of anything, and when she sees her mother, it's the pushover.

_You're not strong here, _the vines whisper. _We have all the power; not you. It's not you laughing now, is it?  
_

_Never you_, her pushed aside self-loathing whispers in the silence. 

_cinco_.

She feels the madness sneaking in every full moon, after Hama; the blood in all of their veins, the knowledge that she _could_ kill them, with one flick of the finger, and it's finally power she hates, but, _oh_, it feels _so good_, and_, oh, _she could put them all in their place. All of the hated; _she _could stop the war.

_Who needs the Avatar? _Her conceited mind screams, every full moon; _You could kill Ozai and Azula and Zuko and all of them _— _and they'd be the ones shaking in fear, for once. Don't you want to kill them? Don't you?_

And the maybes choke her, because she does — she wants to be the hero.

(she always has.)

_seis._

She leaves the heroics to Aang.

(_and ages hence, this will replay itself, and it won't just be you suffering_; there goes her mad mind again.)

* * *

Ahaha.

Was that creepy? Good? Should I shut up now?


End file.
